Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock is one of the best novels I’ve read, hands down.

If you didn’t get excited about Herr Silverman, you are either a liar, or an idiot. You choose.
The book is about a suicidal boy, who is saying goodbye to his four friends, and mother. He plans to shoot a boy named Asher Beal in the face first, and then himself, as his birthday gift to himself, using his grandfather’s P-38 Nazi war gun.

The first scene in the book is him sitting down at his dinner table, oatmeal in his bowl, and the P-38 next to him, wondering if this piece of ‘modern art’ will be featured in the MoMa. So, already I love him, because, well, what even is modern art?

Art made to look modern?

Old scenes painted modernly?

What even?!?

Anyways, below is an excerpt of the story:

“The P-38 WWII Nazi handgun looks comical lying on the breakfast table next to a bowl of oatmeal. It’s like some weird steampunk utenisil anachronism. But if you look very closely just above the handle, you can see the tiny stamped swastika and the eagle perched on top, which is real as hell.

I take a photo of my place setting with my iPhone, thinking it cold be both evidence and modern art. . . .